The LX200 is a great scope. It takes a little while to get used to the electronics if you've never had them, but they are amazing once you get it! I prefer using it in ALT/AZ unless you have a nice wedge. The Meade wedge wasn't enough to hold it steady.

My optics are pretty good for an SCT. Performance was nice for all DSO's. A 2" diagonal is highly recommended. Planetary views are great, but not refractor like. The goto is dead on using a 13mm Nagler every time! Tracking is great as well, especially with the PEC and High Precision Pointing.

I've owned my LX200 for a few years now and have dragged it all over the place to go observing. It had held up remarkably well during the time I've owned it. I've used it in all kinds of observing conditions from hot and sticky summer nights to cold midwestern winter nights with temperatures down around 0 F, and this scope has survived very well so far.I've been particularly happy with the scope's performance in the cold winter weather when its so cold that I can barely advance the film in my Olympus when I'm doing astrophotography. In the last year I've started doing CCD imaging which is one of the reasons I originally chose this scope. So far things have gone well. The main things I had to learn to get the most from this scope were to get it very well collimated, and to train the PEC so I could do 2 minute unguided CCD images at f/6.3. Getting this scope collimated well was the best thing I've done during the whole time I've owned it. It wasn't "bad" from the factory, but it wasn't dead on either, and I spent a single evening tuning it up and it has held collimation very well since then, despite taking trips out to dark sites etc. My only "gripe" about my LX200 is that I've found a few software bugs in its control system which will never be fixed, but fortunately they are quite minor. The scope does take a little while to cool off when taken from indoors and put outside in the winter, but this is trivially solved by storing the scope in the garage where its closer to outdoor temperatures, and by using a $10 computer fan from radio shack to help it cool down faster. With these two steps in place, it cools down in about 10-15 minutes. I like this scope enough that I don't imagine myself getting rid of it any time soon, its small enough that I can pack it and all of my CCD stuff in the rear hatch of my '94 camaro, and have room for a person in passenger seat if I wish. Its light enough that even a couch potato should be able to set it up without breaking much of a sweat.

I have had my LX-200 8" f/6.3 for about ten years now. I never had a problem with it other than not having enough time to use it. I love the ease of use but only wish it was a bit easer to lug around. This scope is a great all around scope.

I picked this scope up just as Meade was concluding their promotional close out on this model prior to the shipping of the GPS Models. This scope now I believe is refered to as the LX200 Classic,and I certainly would agree to that. I do have quite a bit of experience with various model autostars, and I have found these to be great teaching aids.However I still prefer the Motorola HC even though it looks like it was made for a HS science project. The 18 volt motors (and their much noted noise) was yet another plus in my choice of this model. I am not a mechanical engineer, however I am not aware of too many circumstances where a small motor is better that a big motor Especially when the mass to be moved is the same. As for the noise I do not understand this issue. Our star parties are always dark, but they are not always quiet. A quiet star party should be called a sleep over. The Meade instructions are of course are best used as a coaster to set your drink on but we all knew that already. I have five scopes and this is my third Meade scope. I have never had a need to call Meade for the LX200, but I have had to for one of the other scopes. I must be lucky but I have no complaints about thier cust. svc. department.

MY LX200 IS ROUTINELY THE BEST SCOPE OUT AT OUR CLUB PARTIES. IT HAS TERRIFIC CONTRAST WITH A BLACK BACKGROUND. IT CAN SPLIT MOST ANY DOUBLE THAT THE REFRACTORS IN OUR CLUB CAN SPLIT. IT HAS ENOUGH LIGHT-GATHERING ABILITY TO ALLOW VISUALIZATION OF MOST DEEP SKY OBJECTS, AND IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO USE BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT POWER AND GOTO.